Presence
by 8cheshirekat
Summary: Roy/OC  "For the record! You suck!" "For the record! You moved!" "There they go again..."
1. Chapter 1: Meeting

(Red Arrow/OC, Robin/OC, Auqualad/OC, WallArt, Superboy/Miss Martian) What if there wasn't death? What if there was a way to survive death? But in that, the cost is too high? Aqualad learns that Agua is still alive. But she's not alone. Cheshire comes up with a toxic fume that causes the boys to become something of a miss-matched team. But Aqualad seems to have escaped. What's up with that?

* * *

><p>He was sitting on the park bench when he thought he heard it.<p>

That familiar noise that had come to vanish in his heart. The noise that brought him great feeling of pride and joy.

His eyes quickly scanned the surrounding area and he heard the noise again.

"Can I have another ice cream? A vanilla scoop, please."

His eyes landed right on her.

Black hair was tossed lightly aside. A streak of dark, aquatic green struck the side of that smooth, ivory face. Those ocean-blue eyes were soft and gentle.

Agua stood before the ice cream cart with the air of someone who was too hot to be out in the sun. She wore a light blue summer dress with white sandals and a ring made of blue glass. She took the ice cream and handed over her money.

She didn't seem to notice Aqualad sitting on the wooden bench.

He watched her approach a young girl.

She had raven black hair. Sterling green eyes. Copper-toned, ivory skin. She wore a long-sleeved red dress with black frills and a pair of black-laced gloves and stockings. Her shoes were black Mary-Janes. She had on a wide-brimmed hat that was red with black accents. She took the ice cream with a little smile and a thank you.

Another girl approached. She was in a wheelchair. Her jeans were torn at the knees and she wore leather gloves with the fingers chopped off. Her tee had the symbol for Green Arrow and she wore a baseball cap over her sandy brown hair. She had her eyes hidden behind a pair of black shades.

There was a bit of an exchange and Agua burst out laughing.

It rang clear and true through the air.

Aqualad's heart clenched so tight that he had to touch his chest and look down. He closed his eyes tight and took a deep breath. With a soft sigh, he looked back and noticed the girl in the wheelchair was looking at him with the presence of someone who knew why he'd done that. She shook her head and followed her friends, keeping pace with their steady walk.

He touched his temples and tried to clear his mind.

'_Aqualad?_'

'_I am here._'

'_Batman's got a mission for us._' Miss Martian sounded concerned.

He got up. '_I am on my way._' He looked at the bright sun's rays on the earth before he started jogging back to Mount Justice.


	2. Chapter 2: Alive?

Roy rolled over and stared at the ceiling. He couldn't even remember how he'd gotten there...

Wait... where was "there" exactly?

He blinked and sat up. He looked around and then noticed there was someone in the far corner. Squinting, he noticed it was a female and she was leaned up against a wall.

"Who...?"

She pushed off the wall. "I'm not about to tell you that. Just call me BB." She gave a gentle smile. She had a silver eye patch over her right eye. Her sandy brown hair was pulled back, into an intricately braided ponytail. Her hazel eye seemed to pierce right through Roy. "You were knocked out by a dangerous toxin and I just happened across you." She crossed her arms and stood at the foot of his bed. "You're a tough one."

Roy shook his head to clear the sleepy fog. "Where did you bring me?"

"Here." She gestured around, snapping her fingers. Lights shot on and he realized he was in a bedroom. His old bedroom.

Roy was about to say something when she spoke again.

"It was the safest place to watch over you while you recovered."

Roy slid off the bed and felt his balance kind of sway. "Why?"

"For reasons unknown." She smiled at him and gave him a little bow. "Now that you're awake, I'll let Oliver know it's safe to approach his home." She vanished in a flurry of red flakes. The flakes vanished as they moved in their own directions.

Roy sighed and ran a hand over his face. This was going to be a hard thing to live down...

But BB hadn't gone far, she was outside, as a mater of fact. She was pretty much on the front lawn, staring up at the smoke coming off the chimney.

"If you keep watching me, I'll be forced to think you're stalking me."

Oliver sighed and came to stand beside her. "How long is she going to keep that illusion going?"

"As long as it takes for Roy to recover his momentum and get moving." She sighed deeply and closed her good eye. "If Roy can recover from this blow, he'll prove that the toxin we've been trying to unravel doesn't effect healthy individuals."

"What about Agua? Didn't it effect her greatly?"

"It did." BB looked at Oliver. "But Agua's body was exposed to it repeatedly. She had to have someone to connect to or the toxin would've killed her." She looked right through Oliver with her piercing hazel eye. "Agua, in the end, couldn't sustain a physical substance. She became the ocean and watched her own body waste away into water."

"But who was that who opened the door, then?"

"That would be Agua, yes. But the way she was long before Cadmus began to experiment on us. Back when we were bonded by blood and not by science. I can still remember just how easily Agua would manipulate the world around her." BB stared deeply at the grass. "But there are times when I see the glimpse of the girl I found at the bottom of the ocean."

"How'd she survive?"

"She survived because she willed herself to." Agua came to stand by the mailbox. She put a hand on her hip. "But I hardly remember my life. I don't even, truly, remember how I died." She walked up to BB and put her chin on the slightly taller girl's shoulder. "I do know that I'm alive because someone from the ocean holds my Life Crystal."

Oliver raised an eyebrow. "I still don't get that."

"The Life Crystal, Life Orb, and Life Ring are the three objects that bind us to a physical plain." BB smiled. "If I explained it in detail, you wouldn't know what I was talking about."

Oliver shrugged. "Where's the last one?"

At the same time, the two girls said; "She's right in front of you," before they walked away.

Oliver looked up and saw the smoke had stopped and the house looked dark on the inside. There wasn't any proof someone had been living in that house for the last few days. He shook his head. "I'll meet her someday." He held up three fingers. "Blood Butterfly, Blood Water, and the Bloody Red Queen. Hm, would've picked more heroic names."


	3. Chapter 3: Under Fire

BB was sitting in her wheelchair when she spotted Agua walking up to her. She smiled kindly at her sister. "You okay?"

"The nightmare." She sat down beside BB's chair. "Is there anyway I can possibly ask you to not tell anyone?"

BB set her book on the table. "It's only natural. Agua, don't be so scared." She touched the top of her sister's head.

"I know, Candi."

Candice Gree was her real name. She leaned down and kissed the top of Agua's head. "Could be worse. You could be blind and crippled."

Agua nodded and peeked at the book. "What're you reading?"

"Some info for something." She smiled and gestured to the sofa. "Go and sleep there, I'll be here for a while." Her smile was kind and soft. She was the oldest of the sisters, so, she was naturally the one that Agua and Mary ran to when they had bad dreams.

Agua nodded and slinked over to the sofa. She found a comfy spot and watched Candi with her tentative blue eyes.

Candi leaned back in her wheelchair and pushed her thumb and fore-finger into her tearducts. For a moment, she breathed, and then she leaned forward and began to read the book in front of her again. "Sleep."

Agua's eyes glistened with tears and she kept it to herself.

Candi put her left hand out and gave the invitation.

Agua scurried back and leaned against the huge wheels.

"Hush." Candi rested her hand on Agua's head. "I know. You miss him. You really want to be with... Kal'dur?"

Agua sighed and closed her eyes. "I liked his company. I'd never seen his face, but he was so kind and gentle."

Candi smiled, but didn't take her eyes off the pages. "So, in other words, you miss him. Not the life you bore with the Justice League minis?"

Agua smiled. "Yeah."

Candi flipped the book shut and leaned back. "Agua, we need to lay low. Cadmus is still after the two of you."

Agua didn't speak or move and Candi knew why.

She lifted her hand away and slowly stood up. The pain shot through her body like lightning striking her knees and spreading fast. She ignored it and lifted Agua to lay her on the sofa. She returned and scooped up Mary from the other side and set her down beside Agua. She tucked the throw blanket over them and turned off the lam.

Slowly, she sat back down and rubbed her knee. It was all Oliver's fault she had the pain. She gritted her teeth and touched her elbow to her knee to test the pain.

She glared at the book like it was all it's fault.

"I need that answer." She moved the book aside and yanked another one to her. She rubbed her silver eye before she poured over another book for the night.

-Aqualad-

He was walking down to the portal. He had to go home. This was driving him nuts.

He had just arrived when he noticed Garth was swimming towards the portal. "Garth?"

Garth swam up to him and smiled. "Hey!"

He gave Garth a handshake. "What's the matter?"

"We're under fire. There wasn't any way to contact the surface."

Kal'dur gasped and then dove after Garth. "Where? Is there a way I may help?"

"Anywhere you can help, my friend."

Kal was about to go for the Royal Chambers when he saw a flash of black and blue. He looked after it and realized it swam faster than anything he'd ever witnessed.

Then he recognized the swim pattern.

Or lack-there-of.

"Agua."


	4. Chapter 4: Getting In

-Gotham-

Robin spiraled through the air. His arms wrapped around his body and he landed safely on a beam.

The construction site wasn't well lit, but it was lit enough for Batman and Robin to fight these strangers.

Three boys, roughly the same age as Robin, with metahuman powers. The three boys were aiming at Robin and made Batman really upset, but Robin was holding his own.

Robin used his grappling hook and grabbed one of the boys. When he pulled the boy away, Robin felt a sudden shock.

"Robin!"

He heard Batman call his name, but suddenly, the world turned red. Robin felt the shock run up his arm and then down his feet.

There was a sudden hand over his face and he gasped.

A girl with raven black hair and glowing red eyes was holding him still. She wasn't forcing him down, but her black sleeves were starting to move as if she were in water. She threw her hand out and the red world turned black and white.

Robin reached up to grab her when he felt an uncontrollable need to kill.

He made a fist and his hand made contact with the girl's arm, snapping it clean in two. He twisted with a shove of his elbow and landed on all fours. His hand lashed out and he grabbed the girl by the neck. He began to strangle her before he threw her down, forcing her to hit the dirt, hard.

And then it was black again.

-Happy Harbor-

Artemis raised her bow and aimed at the strange boys. She was aiming at the taller of the three.

As she released, she noticed that their attention was solely on Kid Flash. She turned her head as quickly as one of them shot out of the air towards the red-head.

The three boys were telepathic and that made it hard to hit them. But this one reached out his hand.

There was a sudden shock of yellow between his outstretched hand and Kid Flash's back. As fast as he could run, the shock sped through five feet of air and struck Kid Flash in the back of the head.

Artemis took a step back as Kid Flash suddenly turned to her. At first, he was reaching for her to help him, but his green eyes turned gray and he started to run at her. Thinking as fast as Kid Flash could run, Artemis drew a sharp arrow and nailed Kid Flash to the asphalt. She turned to run.

Kid Flash zipped out of that real easily and rammed into the back of Artemis. She was flung forward and into the way of an on-coming train.

The horn blared into the noon air.

-Mount Justice-

Miss Martian was watching all of this from the Cave. Superboy had just left to help Artemis deal with Kid Flash when Miss Martian saw the train make contact.

She gripped her hands together, fear gripping her.

Then she heard it.

'_M'gann, please tell me I'm imagining things._'

'_Artemis?_'

'_No, I'm Marry Poppins. OF COURSE IT'S ME!_'

Miss Martian breathed easily. '_I wonder what could be causing this._'

The ZetaTubes activated and Miss Martian quickly turned transparent.

"Recognized, Blood Butterfly."

Miss Martian was shocked. There was no number. There was no letter. It just recognized this person!

Sand-brown hair, piercing hazel eye, strange case, and rich, purple cloths. The older teen pushed her hair back and pressed something in her ear.

"I'm in. Thanks, Bloody Water. I just need to find the Martian or the Kryptonian before anything happens. Radio silence for BB." She lowered her hand and set the case down. She let it fall open to reveal a small block of metal.

The metal began to vibrate and it added to the air, pulsing through Miss Martian.

The girl, BB, stood up again. Miss Martian took note that when she stood up, BB seemed to be in pain in her knees, but she got up all the same.

For a few moments, she stood still before she pushed the block over and a single beam of light projected someone onto the floor.

Artemis backed away from BB after she materialized. "Who-?"

BB held up a hand. "I'll answer that as soon as you tell me if your Kryptonian and Martian friends are here. I need to be sure they're safe."

"Why should I help you?"

BB sighed and crossed her arms. "Artemis, I don't have time for games. My deranged father is out there spreading a virus that infects metahumans. Now it's effecting civilians and teenagers. I need to know that those two are fine. The effects of the virus are too harsh to be injected into them."

"Why should I trust you?"

BB did a face-palm. "Artemis, let me put this plainly, alright?"

Artemis nodded.

"My foster father used this virus to try and take control of Robin a few weeks ago. Do you remember that? Where you discovered he couldn't swim? Well, the foster father of mine made a new serum that is even more potent. Red Arrow was injected with the prototype to this new one." BB put her hands on her hips. "My foster father is causing harm to your team and I need to know if it's safe to trust them."

"Then the Martian is here." Miss Martian didn't make herself seen. "But the Kryptonian went to fight the three boys."

BB suddenly looked frightened. "Did you say '_three_ boys', Martian?"


	5. Chapter 5: Talking

BB was standing in the middle of the room when Miss Martian saw the ZetaTubes activate.

BB suddenly pulled her hair in her face.

"Recognized, Batman, zero two."

BB crossed her arms and waited for Batman to notice her.

"What happened?" he asked, standing just out of her reach.

BB sighed. "What in the wide, deceived world are you talking about?"

Batman raised an eyebrow. "I'm referring to Robin and Aqualad and Kid Flash."

BB let her arms fall to her side. "So, you mean, why they went all destructive? Going out of their way to kill someone?"

Batman raised an eyebrow again. "Yes."

BB made a long pause seem uncomfortable when she put her hand to her eye patch and the other to her hip. "You mean how badly their being beaten? Or the fact that it's even happening?"

Batman made a growling noise. "Just-!"

There was a sudden shock through the air that was listened well by Miss Martian and Artemis.

A long, maroon crystal had shot out of the back of BB's hand. It had splintered into millions of smaller spikes that were a hair away from Batman's chest. BB had a wicked smile on her lips. The crystal had shot out so quickly but it was now inching towards the emblem on Batman's chest.

"Still think I should be the one answering questions?"

Batman's eyes were wide. "What are you?"

"An experimental metahuman. I am one of many who replaced a few of the projects Red Hood knew before he returned to Robin." She grinned wider, showing that her teeth were uneven, but still smooth. "I am one of three that escaped and forgot how badly I miss being alive. I am the daughter of Lex Luthor and Melissa Gree."

Artemis reached for an arrow, as fast as she could.

BB threw her hand off her hip and turned her body. A long, single maroon spike shot out and pinned Artemis by the shoulder of her cloths. "I would hold still until I get what I came for."

Artemis threw a punch and felt the spike crack. "Let me go!"

BB shook her head. "Well, I'm here for one thing, and it's clear that half of that thing isn't here." She turned her head and her sandy hair settled around her shoulders, and gave Batman a stern look. "Tell me, what's the Justice League's protocol if a member goes missing?"

"Search and rescue."

"And what if one of their members is being mind controlled?"

"Neutralize."

The maroon vanished into flakes of red. Like confetti.

"Fair enough." She stood tall again. "Because it's not going to come to that."

She tipped the block over again.

A girl in a maroon dress and a black coat stumbled out. Her raven black hair flung out around her as she hit the deck. Her dark red nails gently scratched the ground. She lifted herself up and gently stomped her boots lose of dirt. She looked up and made an eek when she saw Batman and quickly ran behind BB.

The next girl that flew out shot into the air. Her arms were wide and she had the same dark hair. But a streak of aqua green locks rippled on the side of her face. She wore a long green coat and her jeans were slightly torn. Her own boots hit the ground just behind Artemis.

"This is Bloody Water and the Bloody Red Queen. My name is the Blood Butterfly. We're experimental metahumans that have an essence of us connected to three physical objects. I'm sure that you're surprised, but we are the three that can train your two females left on this team to fight these boys of yours." BB put her fist on her hip. "Batman, this is the only way you can save Robin."

Batman didn't say a word, he just stared blankly at her. "What did you come here for?"

"The virus my foster father created can cause a Kryptonian and a Martian to become seventeen times more dangerous than they normally are." Bloody Water crossed her arms. "I've seen how he can easily make them forget which side they're on. Not even my telekinetic power can reach Robin anymore. That's how potent Luthor's virus is."

Batman sighed. "If you can restore the team, then do so. In the meantime, vaccinate them against it."

BB gave Batman a half-hearted salute.


	6. Chapter 6: Start the Training

BB kept her arms crossed and glared down at Miss Martian. "Is that _all_?"

Miss Martian got to her feet and threw her telekinetic powers right at BB's face.

BB's smile was evil as she ducked. Bloody Water soared over Miss Martian's head and landed a startling amount of power to the floor as Miss Martian took off, into the air. She turned back and almost missed the next attack.

Bloody Red Queen raised a hand and hit Miss Martian on the shoulder, narrowly missing the crown of her head. As the momentum went, Bloody Red Queen began to pitch forward. She turned so she was facing down as her toes lightly tapped the wall. She held her hands in an "x" in front of her face as she kicked off.

The momentum of the kick caused a small ring of dust as she rocketed right at Miss Martian. She swung her hands out and created a lashing wave of colorful wind.

A hiss came and a green arrow split the wind and shattered it.

BB was still standing still, in the center. Her foot suddenly lifted and she raised her arms and stomped forward. A ripple of energy shot through the ground and sent a wave of destruction out to knock Artemis off her feet. BB suddenly withdrew and made a circular motion with her whole right arm.

A maroon shield that was oblong stretched from the floor up over her head. Miss Martian's blast made contact.

But a huge spike splintered right at her.

Miss Martian was about to block it when Bloody Water appeared in front of her.

She threw her hands together at the thumbs and a blast of lightning erupted from her body. The spikes splintered into the maroon confetti.

The object of the exercise was to teach them to rely on the three girls, but Miss Martian and Artemis still weren't working to help either of the other two girls.

Bloody Water turned and raised her hand. She smacked Miss Martian upside the head. "Working as a team! A team, god darn it!"

She landed and pressed her right fist into her hip. She raised her other hand and smacked Artemis on the side of the head as well. "Work as a unit! Don't be so stingy with your arrows!"

Artemis got up in Bloody Water's face. "What the devil's wrong with you?"

Bloody Water was up in Artemis' face, too. "What's my problem? What's wrong with your head? This exercise is meant to help you work as a unit! Don't just go around shooting at us! What about her? She's just standing there!" Bloody Water threw her hand out and pointed right at BB, who was looking away, at the wall.

Artemis shoved Bloody Water aside. "Why don't you be the bad guy? Why is she always the bad guy?" Artemis turned to Bloody Water and gestured at BB.

She was too close.

BB grabbed her wrist and yanked her to the floor. She brought her right forearm down, holding Artemis' right hand against the floor. She brought her left hand back and a maroon spike formed over her hand and slowly hardened. She flashed forward.

Artemis screamed and her eyes were wide.

BB's spike had burst into droplets of red that dripped all over Artemis' face.

BB's bloody hand was covering the upper part of Artemis' face, leaving her mouth open. "I'm the bad guy because I'm the bad guy. You wanna be the bad guy, then I have to retreat from being able to fight you. My power is much too strong." She got to her feet. "Alright, break for lunch."

As they were leaving, Artemis took notice that BB wasn't coming. She was about to say something when BB turned her back on them.

Blood began to drip off her knuckles. BB suddenly threw her hands out. The blood drops morphed and turned into small dolls made of the same maroon materials. The little dolls were perfect babies and were cute little girls wearing cute little dresses with cute hair cuts.

BB looked at one on her right and crouched down. The little drops of her blood forming small orbs that kept rolling all over the floor. She touched the littlest doll and pulled it off the floor, crushing it to dust. "How strange. They don't look like usual. But you looked just like me."

She got up and threw her hand out, creating a splatter of red orbs. "Artemis!"

The blond jumped. "What?"

BB stomped over. She pointed on bloody finger at Artemis' nose. "Don't tell anyone! If you tell anyone I'm injured I will _break_ your neck!" She pushed Artemis aside and stomped off.


	7. Chapter 7: Bring Them In

BB was taking a nap when the alarm went off.

She raised her torso and her head fell forward as she lifted her right hand and covered her face. "Ow. Not fair." She slid off the sofa and followed the commotion.

When she entered the room, her eyes widened.

Miss Martian, Bloody Water, the Bloody Red Queen, and Artemis were watching a screen that showed that the boys were out taking down the city, tearing it apart by it's roots. They were searching for something and were becoming more and more furious that they couldn't find it.

Still, it was most shocking that Red Arrow was in the fray.

BB ground her teeth together. She pointed to the Zeta Tubes. "Move out! We need to stop the damage those boys are causing!"

-Star City-

BB ran a hand through her hair before she sighed, crouching down. "HEY!"

Red Arrow stopped and slowly turned around. His eyes were unfocused and she smirked.

"Easy prey today."

'_WAIT! Don't hurt him!_'

'_Who said anything about pain, Miss Martian?_'

She jumped down, landing on the wire. She slid down it's length, letting gravity take her down. '_Just deal with Superboy. Remember the plan._'

'_Right! Draw them to the water!_' came several replies.

BB's smile became dark and she jumped just a bit, but still flew over Red Arrow's head. She suddenly brought her leg around and caught Red Arrow by the neck. She twisted and the force made him spin off the bridge. Her face suddenly became confused. "That was too easy."

She looked over the edge and saw him holding onto the bridge with just one hand.

"Yes, that was too easy." She turned and jumped for the next wire. Her hands extended and she looped around it, landing on it so she could stand on it. She watched Red Arrow.

He swung himself and cartwheeled onto the same wire as her. She was rocked, but he began to climb towards her. He had an intent in his eyes that she recognized. He reached out and she ducked, sliding down the wire and right between his knees. "Coward."

She spotted the Bloody Red Queen running towards the bridge. She had a small injury to her left arm. She seemed unable to hold herself from laughing.

She jumped onto the bridge and began to climb. She was twisting and curving and her stalker was struggling to keep pace. She finally landed beside BB on the bridge's rails for pedestrians. "What should we do?"

'_Incoming!_'

The duo looked to their right as Artemis zoomed by on the roof of a car.

KF was zooming faster than was necessary. That gave the two girls enough space and Bloody Red Queen grabbed her sisters wrist. She jumped onto KF's back, a long, maroon piece of elastic something stretched as she attached it to his back.

BB wound the rest around the nearest wire.

KF growled and went after BB.

She back-flipped into the water below. The splash was minimal, but she surfaced a bit far away. She waved to him and blew him a kiss.

Superboy splashed into the water next to her, creating a huge wave.

"Surfs up!" she yelled as Bloody Red Queen jumped after her sister.

KF wasn't about to let the two escape him. Robin and Red Arrow weren't going to let Artemis escape, as she'd just shot tear gas at the two of them. Artemis dove, head-first, into the water. The two boys dove after her.

Miss Martian swooped low, gliding over the water as she pulled them along. They had to get to open waters before Agua could help them.

"FASTER!"

Miss Martian was about to protest when she realized why.

Kid Flash was hot on their heels and he was determined.

BB suddenly created a propeller that began to tread water back at him, slowing him down. "Hurry! We've gotta go!" She kept it rotating until she felt the water give under her. "Drop!"

Miss Martian stopped and used the momentum to throw the other three into the open sea. She shot into the sky to get away from them as Superboy launched himself at her. '_Hurry!_'

'_I'm right here._'

Water parted and reached up to grab Superboy. The massive fists closed on him and threw him back to the surface.

Bloody Water rose out of the water, the moisture falling off her like she was made of wax. She lifted her hands to her sides and leaned forward. As she whipped her body back, she clasped her hands together in front of her.

The motion made a split in the water. It reached far enough as the boys fell into the crack. "NOW!"

Artemis shot an arrow into the crack as BB and Miss Martian created a sealed chamber for each boy. Superboy broke free, but was taken down by Bloody Red Queen's strange stare. Once they were captured, Miss Martian began to lift them out of the water.

"How can we tell?"

Bloody Water lifted the other girls out of the water, drying them as she went. Her eyes looked blind, but she still smiled at Artemis. "We'll tell when we get them back to shore. In the meantime, we need to focus and make sure they don't do anything stupid."

-The Cave-

Miss Martian slowly set the boys down in their new environment, glass boxes reinforced with electric shields beyond them and grounded by titanium weights that were drilled into the ground by Green Lantern.

"That's it."

BB put her hand, flat palm, towards the boxes. Little red needles came out of the boys, giving them movement again. She sighed and looked at Batman. "It's your call. You're boys, you're problem."

"Why do you want to help us now, of all times?"

BB glared at Green Lantern. "Just because I asked you to drill holes doesn't mean I have to explain myself to you."

Green Lantern stepped forward. "I'm a member of this League. I should be read into this."

"No, you don't. Neither does Superman or Wonder Woman, or even the Flash!" She grabbed his hand with his ring and he gasped. "You've got some nerve treating me like this! After how long you've known me!"

There was a silence so dense it almost seemed like they were drowning in it.

"John Stewart, have you forgotten how long you've known me and how much we've been through?"

He lowered his hand from her's. "I just want to know why."

BB turned to the boys. "There's something I owe someone for something it did for me. You know how I feel about paying debts, John. Just let me do this for it. It's not gotten it's chance to shine. I want it to sparkle before I leave it behind."

Green Lantern raised an eyebrow. "An 'it'? You owe a debt to an 'it', Candi?"

"Not just any it." She sighed and looked at her sisters. "I owe them a lot, too."


	8. Chapter 8: The Maybe It

BB was sitting on the rock face, looking out to the ocean. She hand her legs dangling off the edge and her elbows were propped on her knees. Her hands were clenched together and pointed towards the ocean.

"I thought I'd find you up here. Do you want to remove your costume?"

She shook her head. "I'm always Bloody Butterfly now. I can't change that."

Green Lantern sat down beside her. "John told me about you're strained relationship as mentor and apprentice."

She sighed and ran a hand through her hair as she leaned back. "Hal, do you ever miss being normal? Letting other people do the hard work?"

"Every day." He smiled at her. "John also told me about the time you owed a debt to the Joker."

She closed her eyes and let the sea breeze brush her hair back. "That was the first time I'd ever met Green Arrow." She felt the tears coming. "You ever regret doing something that was the right thing to do in the first place?"

He just shook his head. "Why?"

BB opened her eyes to stare at the clear blue sky. "What's right isn't always fair."

He nodded and leaned on his knees, looking at the ocean. "I agree."

BB stared at the rich blue of the sky. "It was wrong of me to help him. But Green Arrow was in mortal danger. I couldn't help it. John had always taught me that sometimes, the fair thing isn't always the right thing. But the right thing wasn't always fair." She reached out and touched her knees.

"What happened to you?" Green Lantern asked, touching her shoulder.

"I stopped a piece of falling debris. It struck me on the legs. I managed to wiggle my way out. But as soon as I had, I saw the Joker's plan set in motion. I had to save Green Arrow. He was certain death." She clenched a fist. "He was sure to die if I didn't save him. I used my ability to move energy from my spine and legs to force the debris off of him. But by doing so, I didn't feel the bullet until they woke me in the hospital."

Green Lantern raised and eyebrow. "How can you walk?"

She opened her fist as she turned it over. "My metahuman powers give me that." She flexed her fingers. "I was given these powers by mad scientists at the Cadmus project facilities and I was chained to walls and drugged and beaten. My powers kept me from dying."

"Then what's this I hear about you leaving something behind?"

She closed her fist. "That's what you want to know, isn't it? Not my life story or why I'm here. Just what's the one thing I have to leave behind."

"Yeah, sorry."

She shrugged. "Everyone's going to find out soon." BB's eyes grew sad. She touched the eye patch. "Someday, I hope to look upon it with clear eyes and know that it's choice is what I owe it."

Batman emerged. "Come, you two. I need your help."

"You need it, or the boys?" BB asked in her stern voice again. The softness of being a girl was dwindled down to just her pitch again. It was as if nothing had ever happened between her and Green Lantern.

"Both." He slowly lifted his hand and she marched right passed his offered hand. Not even a thank you. He watched her go as Green Lantern came to stand beside him. "Did you find out anything?"

"Just that she's got a sort of grudge against Green Arrow for something she did." He shrugged. "She wouldn't say what 'it' was, so, I'm still in the dark about what she's talking about when she says she 'owes it', Bats, sorry."

BB put a hand on her hip as she came to stand by the glass boxes. "So, they're in withdraw."

The boys were silently getting frustrated. They were throwing things, but not screaming. It was as if they were afraid to make noise.

Zatara was standing nearby. "What should we do for them?"

Bloody Red Queen reached out and put her hand on Robin's case. "It's not something you can take lightly. Someone has to give up about two ounces of blood."

Batman crossed his arms. "So, we need their blood types. What else do you need?"

"No, it has to be someone who knows them. Someone who cherishes them like they're family." BB stood and watched as Red Arrow suddenly reached out and his hand made contact with the glass. She felt the sting of pain. "If only I'd repaid it, this wouldn't be a problem. I owe it too much."

"It who?" Green Lantern yelled, grabbing her wrist and pulling her around. "I don't remember you owing an object any debt!"

"John."

He ignored Green Lantern and grabbed her upper arms. "There's only so much we can take. What do you want? You want us to run circles around the globe looking for this 'it' you owe to save their lives?"

BB was still watching Roy, who was starting to press his palms against the glass. Her eyes were cold and unknowing. "I'll show you what it is, but first, we need to save them."

Batman slowly extended his hand and touched her shoulder. "What kind of blood do you need?"

BB slipped Green Lantern's hands off her and walked to Robin's case, where Bloody Red Queen was sitting, and put her hand on the metal of the box. "The blood needs to be taken by force and then implanted by oral." She looked at Green Arrow. "You remember. But two ounces is being generous. We just need half an ounce of blood and I can crystallize it before we have to put it in their mouths."

There was a silence before the mentors stepped forward.

Bloody Water smiled crudely. "Prepare yourselves."


	9. Chapter 9: A Showdown Pt 1

Without warning, BB turned and grabbed Batman by the hood and virtually slammed him to the wall. She raised a fist to knock him back when she was kicked in the face, spinning through the air to smash into the wall, breaking off small chunks.

"What-?"

Green Arrow silenced Aquaman. He pointed. "They're going to take the blood by force. Just fight them to get the blood flowing."

"You're just going with this?" Aquaman asked.

"Yes." Green Arrow turned to stare at Roy, who was starting to tear apart the quiver he had. "I've done it once before already. The blood has to be flowing fast for it to be drawn out. If not, we could die during the extraction."

"Heads up, old man!"

Bloody Water came crashing down on Aquaman, grabbing his arm and turning around him. As she came to his front, her momentum sent him to the floor. She lifted her hand and was about to bring it down when Flash zoomed by, snatching her up.

He body slammed her to the wall before he took off for Bloody Red Queen, who was shooting colorful wind at Superman and Green Arrow. He was about to make contact when she turned to him.

Her hand shot out and made contact with his eyes. She covered them and inserted her thoughts, combining her imagination and his fear to create a separate reality for him to dwell in, where his heart would race, but his body would be stagnant.

She was just admiring her work when Superman grabbed her by the throat. He was lifting her up and slowly constricting her. Bloody Red Queen was flailing like a fish out of water, clawing and scratching at the parts of his arms she could reach.

BB turned, her eye patch falling off. Her eyes were pitch black as she shot at Superman, diving for his ankles. She came to a standing position, throwing his feet over her head. He landed on his face and she grabbed his cape. "Ever wonder why you shouldn't wear a cape?" She wove it around his neck and began to constrict him in the same manner he'd done to Bloody Red Queen.

She pressed her knee to his back.

"I'm stronger than you."

She suddenly held her hand close to his face and her fist opened. She held a crystallized piece of green. It pulsed in her hand.

"How-?"

"You'd be shocked just what we can do." She suddenly gasped and jumped off Superman as Batman tried to capture her.

Bloody Water suddenly shot right at her and the duo hit the wall, vanishing into a swarm of dust.

Artemis aimed for it when Green Arrow made her lower her bow. "I have to help!"

"No, stay out of this." He shot an arrow and they heard it hit something metal.

Not two bodies, but one, came out and made a large impact on Batman.

Bloody Red Queen suddenly ran to the figure and leaped into it's arms, vanishing.

Aquaman went for the hit when he stopped.

Aqualad was walking out of the dust plume. He was holding the weapons and water was pulsing out of the hilts. He was breathing mist from his lips and his eyes were focused on Green Arrow. He was starting to speed up when he was running at such a high speed.

Flash was able to match the speed when the body vanished in a hiss of mist.

"What's going on?" Batman demanded as Flash blinked at the mist.

Three voices answered. "Wanna see?"


	10. Chapter 10: A Showdown Pt 2

The mist faded away and Robin was standing there.

His cape settled around him and his smile came soft and sweet, like always. But when he spoke, it wasn't his voice at all. "Miss me?" said Hal Jordan's voice.

"What?"

Robin reached up and pulled on his mask. His face seemed to melt and the kind face of Wally West appeared. "It's hard to know what we're doing," said Zatara's voice. "But as I said," came Superman's voice, "it's not you we owe," finished Doctor Fate's voice.

"How is that possible?" Miss Martian asked.

BB came to the surface, her eyes a piercing hazel. "Because we inhabit the same space. We must surrender something to gain this face." She touched her stomach and smiled menacingly at Green Arrow. "We have the weakness. We can take the powers of any one person, the physical appearances of someone totally different, and yet have the voice of someone of a different standard. We did that to Green Arrow. Oh, how he hated that."

"Still do." He released the arrow.

BB crouched down and then lunged forward. As Martian Manhunter, they blocked the arrow, sending it harmlessly into the ceiling before reaching out with Flash's reflexes to grab his face. As she made contact, she transformed into Robin. Using his flexibility, she twisted and turned until he was face-first to the wall and she was holing his arm back, to the almost breaking point. Slowly, her body changed to Black Canary.

Releasing his elbow, she reached for the major arteries in his neck and shoulder. Slowly, blood began to trickle out and into the air. It was slowly being absorbed into her hand.

Batman suddenly lunged at her when something gross and unusual happened.

BB's hand remained as a second hand parted from the same left hand. Slowly, a whole body appeared.

A white life form with a female physic. She was quite average looking for a girl in her mid teens. She reached up and pulled on the crown of the white masking and it began to peel away like wrinkled fat from a monster.

Her raven black hair flew out of it's constriction. Somewhat strange, orange eyes stared at him. Copper skin shone in the light as her Gotham Academy uniform settled about her. She smiled grimly at him.

He didn't falter, he went for the killing blow to her collar bone and made contact.

The sickening crack split the air and she didn't scream or back away. In fact, she only slid a few feet back.

Green Arrow suddenly pressed his eyes shut. The pain was too much. It felt like someone had put nails in his blood and a magnet so strong was ripping them out. The pain was starting to become more and more and finally, he let out a cry of agony. "Stop! It hurts!"

BB gritted her teeth and suddenly pulled her hand away.

Everything stopped as they all stared in wonder at the orb she held.

It was smaller than a thumbtack. It shone an array of red shades everywhere. It was almost clear, but there was a singular bubble in the middle. It was the bubble that was reflecting all the light. It hovered over BB's palm before she closed her hand over it.

She ran for Red Arrow's case and opened the roof. She dropped in and was just standing up when he tried to attack her.

She dove under his first blow, but his knee caught her on the chin and she reeled back, hitting the wall. She suddenly reached out as he reached for her head. She grabbed his shirt front and he grabbed her hair and the side of her neck.

She made contact with her forehead and he reeled back.

Grabbing his forehead, she forced her knee onto his upper, inner thigh. She pushed his head back as she held him from the side. His mouth was open and she shoved the orb down his throat. As he choked, she backed away.

He fell to the floor and she sighed.

Pushing her hair back, she rolled him onto his back. She brushed hair off his face and smiled to the other figure. "One down." She vaulted out of the case and stood at the ready. "Who's next?"


	11. Chapter 11: A Showdown Pt 3

Batman took the initiative.

BB ducked his first blow and went for his cape.

But he'd seen what she'd done to Superman and turned the opposite way. His boot made contact with her shoulder and she captured his foot.

The other mentors were tending to Green Arrow, per the strange girl's instructions. They had to stay out of it.

Or so the girl had said.

She transformed back into the Bloody Red Queen and Bloody Water.

Bloody Water brought her hands out and grabbed Batman's shoulders. She brought him to his knees as BB released his foot.

Knowing he had to fight back, he turned around. In a flash, his cape had snagged Bloody Water's attention and she was suddenly before him. He grabbed her wrists and crossed her arms tight. He turned his body just a bit and he suplexed her into the wall. He quickly dropped her and pushed Bloody Red Queen's fist away from him.

Batman's fist clamped down hard on her wrist and he turned, throwing her towards the boxes.

Miss Martian suddenly stopped her from hitting the wall.

Artemis zoomed forward, her bow drawn. She stopped and fired four shots.

They distracted him long enough.

As he turned to avoid the last one, BB's hand came around his neck and grabbed his lower face.

She turned and, with as much force as Superman, brought him down. He spit up some blood and she used that as a starting point. BB swiftly brought her body so she was pressing her knees into his elbow joints and used her right hand to keep the blood coming. Her left was holding his head still.

But she'd forgotten about his feet.

A boot struck her hard on the side of the head and she hit the floor, pretty hard.

Batman pulled a grappling hook out of his belt and aimed it right for her neck. He pulled the trigger, but-

"NO!" Bloody Water pushed her hand out and drew it back as a claw.

BB slid three feet away, towards Bloody Water. She coughed and then got to her feet. "Thanks." She spit out some blood before she raised both her hands in a cross motion.

Miss Martian knew what that was and quickly pulled Artemis out of the way.

BB snapped her wrists up and two, long swords with hooks on the end of the hilt and blade appeared. The maroon material was there as well.

She stood in a familiar stance to Green Lantern.

"Hawkgirl."

BB's fists clenched tightly. "I'm sorry, but it's gotta be this way." She crouched low before she parted the hilts and ran at him. She twisted and one hooked his wrist as she spun to catch his other wrist.

However, she severely misjudged.

The other hook got him in the ribs and he grunted a pain.

She didn't wait. She put her back to his and spulexed him that way to the ground. She turned him over and used the blood from his new wound. As she drew it out, it was clear that she almost had enough.

"Water!"

She ran over and put her hands to his chest. She was taking the moisture out to help it scab. "Hurry. While it's still fresh!"

BB jumped onto Robin's cage. She opened the clear lid and dropped down.

At first, he stared and then he lunged forward, grabbing her throat. BB didn't react at first, but then grabbed him by the collar and threw him to the wall. She was sweating a bit as she pulled his arms back. She pressed her knees to his fingers and pulled his head back. As she dropped the gem into his mouth, he choked.

His graceful arc to the floor was swift and harsh.

She rolled him to his back and touched his face, too. She sighed in relief before she jumped out of the glass cage, landing on the roof. She sat down and hopped off the top before she took a deep breath. "Alright, two down."


	12. Chapter 12: A Showdown Pt 4

Aquaman stood up and walked towards her. "Then perhaps it is my turn."

BB made a fist and smiled at him. "Very well." She took one, long, deep breath. A drop of sweat dripped off her chin. She turned to him and raised her hands. She stood in a defensive stance and opened her eyes to him. "Whenever you're ready."

He nodded and ran at her, raising his fist to knock her back. He landed it right as her arms crossed to block the blow.

She was pushed back just a few feet. BB gritted her teeth and turned her body to the side and he slipped right off her arms. She was turning when he caught the side of her jacket and pulled her around.

Bloody Water ran forward and grabbed his shoulders as she lifted her feet over his head until she was holding herself totally above him. She swung her legs and her feet arched around and came between his feet as she pulled him backwards and then throwing him into the wall. Bloody Water's hand shot out and she stopped her sister from running into the wall herself before she relaxed.

BB caught her breath and looked up. "Bloody Water!"

She turned and Aquaman's forearm made contact with the back of her neck. Bloddy Water gasped and fell to all fours on the floor. She coughed and saliva drooled out of her mouth.

Aquaman was about to go for another blow when the Bloody Red Queen tackled him from behind, sending him flying to the floor. Her small stature made it hard for him to hit her and she was super flexible, able to spin and twist around as he tried to catch her. She finally turned right towards him and ran at him. She aimed a low kick that helped her slide right between his feet. She was able to stop just behind him.

Somehow, she grabbed both his arms and wrapped them behind her before she pulled her arms around his torso and grabbed his cloths. With an almighty heave, she brought him up and over her head, bending her back.

His head hit the ground and a small bit of blood spit out his mouth.

BB ran forward and put her hand over his mouth, starting to pull the blood when he used his foot and got her on the crown of her head. BB stumbled back, holding her head and hissing before she raised her head to glare at him. She charged.

But Aquaman was faster. He had broken free and threw Bloody Red Queen at her sister. When the two collided, he turned to Bloody Water, who was standing by the boxes.

She knew all too well what was happening.

Still, she went for him again, her black hair swirling behind her. She made a motion like she was diving when she got close enough and her hands caught his wrists. She turned as she jumped over his head, still holding his hands. Her feet made contact with his back and she held his arms so they were close to his neck. She was about to pull her own suplex when she felt something catch his breath.

Looking up, she saw Miss Martian, holding her hands out and using telekinesis hold him still. "Hurry!"

BB stumbled over, still shaking her head. She put her hand to his face again. This time, she pulled her hand away. Droplets of blood followed her hand and she had an orb of red. This time, she made sure he was okay before she jumped into Aqualad's chamber.

Aqualad put up a fight.

BB was dodging and weaving. She finally put the orb between her teeth and used two hands to catch his attempt to tackle her. She turned and used one hand to guide his blow over her head as she crouched and the other hand lifted him on the torso until he hit the wall. She turned and grabbed his throat. She spit the orb into her hand and cracked his jaw open with her own, maroon piece. It broke the moment the orb vanished down his throat.

BB caught him this time. She laid him down, gently. Slowly she stood up.

Jumping to the lid, she pulled herself out and sat there for a couple of seconds before she slowly jumped down.

Bloody Water bit her lip. It was going to eat her up to finish off the others.

And they still had Superman to take down.


	13. Chapter 13: A Showdown Pt 5

Superman's fists clenched. "How are you three this strong!"

Bloody Water closed her eyes and turned to him, opening her eyes. They were glowing aqua-teal. "We're just like you. There's one thing that can stop us." She ran forward. She had to give BB time to breath. It was her turn to take the lead.

She spun around his oncoming fist and grabbed his cape. She ripped it off before she jumped onto his shoulders. She wrapped her legs around his head and turned. She was turning to give him a face-plant when he grabbed her knees and threw her aside.

Bloody Water righted herself with the liquid in her body. She slid along the floor, using her heels and her right hand to slow her speed. She quickly kicked off and went running at the back of Superman as he approached Bloody Red Queen.

Using her powers, she started to change the fluids in his body. It made him move with her hand as she threw him against the wall. She stood between her sisters and Superman, her breath coming out in a hiss of mist. Bloody Water was breathing heavily as the mist began to thin.

Superman turned to her and rushed her. "What do you want from me?"

Bloody Water took a page from her sister's book and ducked the punch. She guided it and lifted his torso until he was on his back in front of Bloody Red Queen. "You've got the Kryptonian blood we need for Superboy!"

"He's not my close friend!"

"The memories of Kryton will help ease the transition between your blood and BB's blood!"

Superman's face suddenly paled. "What?"

Bloody Red Queen was reaching down when she heard the hiss of Flash's running feet. "Agua!"

She turned and made a claw and lifted Flash off the ground. The movement was fast and she was struggling to hold him still. "Quit running! You're making it hard to hold on." She could feel her muscles groaning. Bloody Water gasped and then focused, forcing more and more water to cycle oxygen from her unused eyes to her muscles. She raised her other hand and made a small motion.

Blood began to seep out of Flash and into and orb before him. He screamed in agony as Bloody Water tried to do it as smoothly as her sister. It wasn't as easy, but she was still able to pull out a portion of the size required.

But Bloody Water stumbled and nearly dropped Flash ten feet. She had to stay focused as the small red orb fell into BB's outstretched hand. Bloody Water slowly set Flash down before she fell to all fours. She hissed out steam now, as her body was too hot and she was having trouble trying to keep the temperature cool.

BB touched her sister's shoulder. "Thank you."

BB was approaching KF's cage when she got shot in the back with an eye beam from a misfire of Superman's.

BB slowly got to her feet, blood pouring from her wound.

Miss Martian and Martian Manhunter ran to her as she struggled to keep herself up-right.

"The blood! Why is to so bright?" Miss Martian asked, frantically using her telekinetic powers to hold the blood inside.

"My blood doesn't clot." BB smiled at Miss Martian and it was then that she saw the miss-colored eyes. She coughed. "My blood is constantly flowing. I can stop it, but I'm in no hurry to fix myself. Give this to Kid Flash." She handed it to Miss Martian. "I need to get the Kryptonian blood. Nobody else can." She took a deep breath as the blood on her back suddenly crystallized. The cracking and hardening alerted Miss Martian that, this whole time, she'd been trying to break BB's blood during combat, not just a weapon she used from plasma, as she and Artemis had thought.

BB slowly moved her foot to step back. Her boot touched the pool of blood and she slowly turned on her heel so she was facing towards Superman.

He had knocked out Bloody Red Queen. Superman's eyes shot to meet BB's determined ones.

"You wanna know what makes us strong?" she whispered.

"Yes."

"Come here and find out." BB clenched her fists as she prepared for the fight.

This was the last piece.


	14. Chapter 14: A Showdown Pt 6

'_I owe it this much._' BB closed her eyes and the blood spiked right into Superman's path. It, of course, didn't damage him.

BB jumped into the air and did a diving motion right at him.

'_I promised that I'd return it's favor. I owe it that much._'

She grabbed Superman's throat before she turned in the air and slid behind him. She made an arrow with her hand and pushed forward. Her blood was hard enough to pierce his skin and she got a small amount of blood from him.

BB jumped away and used her powers to pin herself to the roof.

'_I know you wouldn't understand. It's not something you should ever know about._' She raised the blood to her body and her own blood began to flake off her skin on her back and she was holding a crystal clear orb.

Unlike the others, this last one she'd made was completely clear, even the little air pocket was gone.

BB put her feet on the wall and pushed off, shattering Superboy's case. She had him on the middle as she suplexed him in the same fashion that Bloody Red Queen had done to Aquaman. However, she flicked her toes off the ground and came to stand over Superboy. She crouched down. Bringing her hand behind her head and level with her shoulder, she gripped the orb between her thumb and palm. Closing her fist, she struck down.

Her fist made contact with Superboy's chest and the orb slipped between her fingers and into his skin. BB forced it down, using her blood to shield the Kryptonian blood on it's descent to Superboy's heart.

It was taking all her concentration.

Miss Martian looked at the orb in her fingers before she floated into Kid Flash's case.

She swept around him. Reaching out, she used her hand to put the orb into his mouth, covering it in the process.

When he swallowed, she felt his muscles tense and then he fell back, into her arms. Miss Martian realized that if he were to lie in any other direction, he could die from suffocation, so, she rested him on his back. She brushed his hair aside and slowly floated out of it.

There was a sudden yelp.

Miss Martian looked down.

Superman and Martian Manhuter had stayed back.

BB was the one who'd yelped and the yelp became obvious as to what.

BB was reeling back, her hand was coming off Superboy's chest. Blood ripped through his shirt as she fell back. When she hit the ground, her eyes were still wide and her sisters ran to her. BB was not responding.

Superboy rolled onto his stomach. "I'm sorry! Is she okay?" he yelled.

"BB!" Bloody Water suddenly stopped and sat back. Her eyes looked sad. "Not again."

Bloody Red Queen fell to her knees beside her sister and began to cry. "No, she came so far. It's not fair."

Miss Martian and Artemis came over. "What happened?" Artemis demanded.

"Is she alive?" Miss Martian asked, coming to sit beside Bloody Red Queen.

The two shook their heads. "She's barely alive."


	15. Chapter 15: Secrets Come Alive

Batman re-entered the room. "Anything?"

Roy shook his head. "She's still not responding." He looked at the clipboard. His own wounds had been bandaged, but he was trying to help where he could. "Try to give her more of the dosage," he instructed Artemis.

Artemis touched the knob and it turned just a click.

Batman sighed.

He'd woken in a room where he found Robin looking worried. He had turned his head and realized Robin had been sitting on his bed. Like a worried son. Robin had been so happy he'd hugged Batman for the first time.

He then opened the curtain, putting his mask back on to show Batman the others that were slowly coming around.

The boys had been bandaged and were still a bit shaky, but they were content to be alive and in control again.

It was then that Batman had learned, from Martian Manhunter, that BB had actually used her powers to replace their blood, but duplicate it in her own blood. As such, she had begun to use her own blood to heal the virus within each of the boys.

However, she had to keep Superboy conscious. This had caused Superboy to lash out when she'd tried to mend him.

Releasing the bond before it had been completed had drained her blood all into just her veins. This meant her muscles were unable to move. She was catatonic.

Batman sighed and approached her. He touched her arm as the medicine began to work into her again.

BB's eyes stared at the ceiling and her oxygen mask showed that she was still trying to breath on her own.

"There's something else." Roy set the clipboard down.

"What's that?" Batman asked, looking up at Roy. He didn't think anything could possibly make him surprised at this point.

"She's been harvested for organs before." Roy ran a hand through his auburn red hair. He slowly turned his head towards BB's body. "She's also got three of her vertebrae fused together. It makes it so her legs can't take immense running or long periods of standing." He lowered his hand and stared at her unmoved eyes. "When I found that out, I knew exactly who she was."

Batman raised an eyebrow.

"Did your son, Dick, ever mention an extremely intelligent girl from Gotham Academy?"

Batman shrugged. "I'm not sure. Why?"

"She's a very brilliant girl. She was the one who discovered how to create life forms like the Gnomes from Cadmus." Roy didn't look away. His eyes were fixed on her dual-colored eyes. "I've met her before, as Roy Harper." He looked up at Artemis and then over at Batman. "She's the reason I came back to the surface."

All of a sudden, they heard her whisper... and it echoed.

"I owe it a toll."


	16. Chapter 16: Dig Into the Past

Martian Manhunter looked at them. "Are you sure you will all be okay with this?"

Bloody Water was standing beside BB, holding her hand, while Bloody Red Queen was holding the other hand.

The group was in a circle, holding hands with each other to complete the circle.

They had all wanted to see the secret the girls were hiding.

Bloody Water closed her eyes and looked at Roy's face. She could plainly see that he was concerned, but was also quite well. He had something for BB, but she couldn't figure out if it was mutual respect or if it was something more like a crush. Still, she was happy someone cared that greatly for her sister.

Martian Manhunter turned and put his hand out towards BB.

She inhaled sharply and Bloody Red Queen activated her colorful wind. It seeped into BB's body, shattering her mental barrier as Bloody Water kept her blood flowing at a normal rate so her blood pressure didn't go up.

There was a rush of images and color.

They found themselves standing in a small room with no windows and a sliver of light from under a door.

Slowly, the door creaked open and Lex Luthor was standing there. He approached the bed and reached down. "Wake up, daddy's here."

The girl slowly rolled over and sat up, rubbing her eyes. She blinked and then smiled up at him. As she reached out to take his hand, there was a blur of images.

Again, there was a dark room, but when the door opened this time, it was two men standing in the doorway and a young teenager was standing facing the wall. Like the child, she had stark blond hair. When she turned to them, her eyes were the same electrifying hazel as before.

They told her to come with them. That it was time.

Her bare feet treaded towards the door.

There was a blur of color this time and she was standing in an arena. There were yellow-tinged walls with bright lights overhead. She was bare foot and wearing a pair of white Capri pants with a long tank top that was fitted to her figure.

At her feet lay a bloody and beaten body. It was still breathing.

"Now, finish it."

She slowly reached down and pulled the figure to it's feet by the arm. "Are you okay?" she asked the girl.

The girl's black hair stuck to her face. "Yes. I can keep going."

The blond slowly let go of her arm. "Prepare yourself."

The black-haired one just stumbled back. Suddenly, her blood started to change shape and direction. It morphed and shot out to take root in the brunette's arm. But she lifted her head and her eyes began to glow.

The blond quickly retaliated. Her arm came up and then out. Her own blood crystallized on her arm and she began to shot them outwards, as arrows.

The black-haired one suddenly lifted her hands and pushed forward as she brought them down. The moisture in the air made large spikes of ice that shot at the blond, who jumped back and then stopped moving.

"Congratulations, Project Water. You've officially passed to the next phase of your evolution."

The girl with the glowing eyes blinked and her eyes returned to normal. She was staring at the blond, who just smiled. "You mean... I get a name?" she asked, tears welling up in her eyes. "Like you? And Red Hood?"

The blond nodded. "Agua, my name is Candi. Welcome to the team." She held out her hand to the dark-haired girl.


	17. Chapter 17: A Blue Ring

There was a flash of bright light and Agua was running after a little blur in a white room. She was holding a red jacket that was all too familiar.

"Hold still," she said, gentle as ever.

He finally did, plastered to the corner. "Why?"

She held up the jacket. "It's washed." Her smile was gentle. "Father wanted me to be sure you were clean and presentable for the meeting today, Red."

Those beautiful blue eyes of his looked down. "I feel funny."

Agua slowly guided his hand into one sleeve, and then the other. "It's okay. I know you're not used to it." She smiled and her eyes began to glow. She touched the back of his head and slipped his glasses on. "Let's go. Father will be impatient if we make him wait any longer."

"Yes. Let's go." He shoved her aside and walked to the door. "Open!"

She followed him and as she passed another blur of colors and visions. But this time, sound was accompanied by the blur in the room.

Miss Martian could make out the sounds of someone yelling. "Why is it so blurry?"

Agua looked away. "This time, she wasn't so lucky."

There was a sudden clarity to the vision and Luthor picked up Candi's limp form and began to shake her back and forth. "Do you understand me? I'm telling you that you're a worthless piece of junk! You can't even carry out simple orders! What is the matter with you?" He threw her aside and her back hit the wall as she slid to the floor.

Slowly, she got to her feet. Raising her hand, Candi wiped the blood from her face onto the back of her hand. She was turning away when she heard a familiar sound as Luthor slammed his office door. She knelt down. "Come. I'm okay."

The two girls crawled out from behind the corner and when Candi stood up, they ran to her, holding their arms out.

"Shh, it's okay. I'm not badly hurt. I'm okay." She gently kissed their crowns. "Mary, Agua, I'm okay. He didn't hurt me too bad this time."

Agua buried her face into Candi's shoulder. "We have to find a way out."

"I already have," Candi whispered.

There was another whirl, but this time, the images were sharper, clearer. Candi was standing in a crowd of people, but she wore Cheshire's face. She moved through the crowd, slowly, cautiously. Finally, she broke free and took off running.

'_Will this work?_' came a cautious voice that sounded like the Bloody Red Queen.

'_I hope you're right. I don't wanna have wasted all this time for nothing._'

"If Father's virus works the way I think it does, he'll chase us. Until then, we have to sit tight."

'_Will this help with the promise you made to the Lantern Ring?_'

"Yes. I promised it I would find my hope and I will." She touched her chest as they darted around a corner. "I'll find that ray of hope and show I'm worthy of those colors." She transformed into Robin and swung around, putting her back to a fence.

Roy came around the corner and slowed to a walk. He was holding a knife. The feral breathing he was doing suggested he wasn't himself.

Candi slowly raised her hand to show him that she didn't have a weapon. "I'm not going to hurt you. Just listen to me."

"Why?" Roy lunged at her and Candi ducked.

There was a flash of blue on her finger and she held her fist out. Quickly, and with conviction, she said; "In fearful day, in raging night, With strong hearts full, our souls ignite, When all seems lost in the War of Light, Look to the stars... for hope burns bright!"

Roy went for another blow, but Candi, who had parted from the other two, dove under his initial attack. Aiming for the feet, she gasped when the first blow missed and she turned and used her right arm to get him in the gut. When he went down she looked up and caught a green arrow.

Slowly getting to her feet, she dropped the arrow and lifted her hand to her ring. She began to slide it off. The blue aura around her faded and she looked down at Roy. "I'm sorry, but I guess you're looking like my ray of hope in this dismal life of mine." She put the ring back and knelt down.

Mary and Agua ran over. "Is he okay?" Mary asked, sliding to a halt.

"He'll survive, but the virus is deep in his system. I'll need someone's blood who cares for him to bring him back."

"What about me?"

Candi didn't look up. "If you care for him, then yes. Otherwise, go away, Oliver."

"Ollie, if you please." He knelt down. "He's like my son. I'm not about to just let him suffer and die."

She nodded. "Then I'll need your adrenaline going."

"Why?"

"It gives me better circulation and it hurts less." Candi got to her feet. "Now, how do you want to play this down?"

There was another mass of blurs and Candi was standing in Roy's room as Ollie closed the door to leave. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the Blue Power Ring. It was the only reason she was still there. Roy had activated her Power Ring's instincts and she'd been able to read his movements seconds before he made them.

She sat on the edge of his bed and put her hand on his chest. "I wonder..."

She reached down and touched his hand before she slowly put her ear to his chest. She closed her eyes and began to tap her fingers to the rhythm of his heart. Slowly, she felt it quicken and sat up.

"Little ray of hope." She looked away. Her elbows propped on her knees as she moved the ring within her fingers. "I promised the Blue Lantern I'd find my ray of hope. There is no ray of hope, not one who would believe in me. I'm not cut out for your job, Hal, not even in the slightest. I've got next to none for hope from outsiders." She looked over her shoulder at Roy. "My only ray of hope is a super weapon made for killing or replacements, Roy. You're lucky. There's people out there who care about you." She leaned back and flicked the ring into the air. "Little rays of hope. I'm not cut out for this Lantern stuff."


End file.
